10 militants killed in US drone attacks in Pak
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US drones carried out two attacks on terrorist hideouts in the restive Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistanon Friday, killing at least 10 militants, including a commander, and injuring seven others.
The drones fired several missiles at two bases of the banned Lashkar-e-Islam group in the Tirah area of Khyber tribal agency, official sources said.
Ten militants were killed in the attacks that were carried out within the space of an hour, they said. At least seven other militants were also injured.
This was only the second time since the US drone attacks began in 2004 that unmanned spy planes attacked targets in Khyber tribal agency.
Seven militants were killed in the first missile strike in Khyberon Thrusday.
Local residents said they had seen drones flying over parts of Khyber since morning. The spy planes continued to hover over the region after the attacks.
US drone attacks have largely focussed on the lawless Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan and attacks in other parts of the tribal belt have been rare.
The attacks in Khyber assume significance as the region is located near Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Several militant groups, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, are active in the Khyber region, which is the main supply route for US and Nato forces in Afghanistan.
The militants regularly attack supply vehicles in Khyber tribal agency.
On Friday’s strike came a day after US President Barack Obama unveiled his new Afghan war strategy, asking Pakistan to do more against militants on its soil.
"Progress has not come fast enough, so we will continue to insist to Pakistani leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders must be dealt with," Mr Obama said at the White House while launching his first review of the US strategy for the Af-Pak region.
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